AsBAA, the Asian region's non-profit organisation for business and general aviation hosted the inaugural AsBAA China Safety Day on 12 April in Beijing. The event, which was held at Sino Jet's Beijing headquarters was well attended by government, aviation stakeholders and members of the media.

Jenny Lau, Chairperson of AsBAA, said in her opening speech "We have a responsibility to ensure that we help to promote a culture of safety best practice in Asia. Safety is the foundation of this sector and will be vital in ensuring its long-term growth and sustainability." Speakers from the General Aviation, Transportation Department, CAAC and the Office of Restructuring, Department of Policy, and Law and Regulation introduced policy updates to promote the development of general aviation in China, and also the revisions of China's general aviation to continue development.

In recent years, business aircraft and VIP helicopters as a means of transport for travel have grown to be more accessible. A rapid response for air emergency rescue has transformed the public view of general aviation in mainland China.

In 2019, provisions on the administration of general aviation business license will be comprehensively revised and listed as the legislative focus of the Ministry of Transport. Basic ideas include classified management, transformation of government functions, relaxation of market access, and effective reduction of institutional transaction costs of market players. In order to lower barriers to market entry and simplify approval procedures, CAAC will actively revise CCAR-285, CCAR-290 regulations and those affecting unmanned aerial vehicles (UAV

Dr. Lv Renli, Director of the General Aviation Department, Civil Aviation Management Institute of China stressed that safety remains a key factor in the sustainable development of China's business aviation industry. China strictly regulates business aviation and will continue to do so as the industry evolves and develops to promote safety.

Ms. Wu Bing, general manager of Sino Jet Beijing, introduced how Sino Jet builds a team awareness of safety culture. The company's safety management system (SMS) guides Sino Jet Beijing's system, including safety policy, risk management, safety assurance and safety training.

In 2018, Sino Jet was the first operator in mainland China to achieve IS-BAO Level III, the highest level of the international recognised safety standard from the International Business Aviation Council (IBAC).

Rocky Zhang, member of the Board of Governors at AsBAA, Chair of its mainland China Chapter and Vice President of Government Affairs at Textron Aviation, moderated a safety panel discussion. He said, "Safety is still the first priority. Without safety as the premise, all development is meaningless". Robert Xiao, Vice President of China AOPA stated as closing remarks during the panel that: "Safety is about developing and protecting our industry. It is very important to realise the reform of safety and change the implementation method. Meanwhile, build space for continued development, leverage media and networks to form a strong voice to create that change."

Dr. Lv Renli said, "Industry stakeholders including CAAC, AsBAA and enterprises should provide products, training and narratives that prioritise aviation safety. In China, we can also learn from international safety models".

AsBAA launched its Safety Day Series in Singapore in 2017. It now holds safety days in mainland China, Hong Kong, Singapore and the Philippines to promote a culture of safety best practice in business and general aviation.

The inaugural AsBAA China Safety Day was sponsored by Bombardier, World Fuel Services (WFS), China Aviation Rescue and Emergency and Sino Jet. The Business Aviation Committee of the China Civil Airport Association (CCAA), General Aviation Division of China Air Transport Association (CATA), China AOPA and international organizations such EASA-APP, FAA-ACP and Québec Economic Office in Beijing were also in attendance.

The next AsBAA Safety Day will take place in Singapore on 11 June 2019 as part of Singapore Business Aviation Week.

Contributed by AsBAA